Annual global carbon emissions from burning coal grew steadily from the 1800’s through to the early 1900’s as the first two industrial revolutions tightened their grip. Then the arrival of the internal combustion engine increased the pace. By the mid 1920’s humans were emitting one billion tons a year. This amount grew sharply because of industrial expansion. By 1989, we were pumping 6 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year.
The IPCC Responds to the 6 Billion Tons of Carbon
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produced its first report in 1990. Its executive summary stated, ‘We are certain of the following: there is a natural greenhouse effect.
“Emissions resulting from human activities are substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases: CO2, methane, CFCs and nitrous oxide.
“These increases will enhance the greenhouse effect, resulting on average in an additional warming of the Earth’s surface. The main greenhouse gas, water vapor, will increase in response to global warming and further enhance it.
“We calculate with confidence that CO2 has been responsible for over half the enhanced greenhouse effect. Long-lived gases would require immediate reductions in emissions from human activities of over 60% to stabilize their concentrations at today’s levels.”
However, that did not happen. In 2017, total accumulated global carbon emissions exceeded 40 billion tons.
The IPCC Report concluded that “Temperatures have risen by 0.3 – 0.6C over the last century. Humanity’s emissions are adding to the atmosphere’s natural complement of greenhouse gases. And that addition would be expected to result in warming.”
China contributed 29.5% of emissions in 2015. The U.S. (14.3%), EU (9.6%), India (6.8%), Russia (4.8%), Japan (3.4%), and Germany (2.2 %) came next. That’s 6 countries responsible for two-thirds of the challenge. We have gone way beyond 6 billion tons of carbon annually. The world touched 10 billion tons in 2017.
Related
Climate Change Part 14: 1972 UN Conference
Climate Change Part 13: Signs of Concern
Preview Image: Precipitation Projection
